Africa in the News

Climate 'Is a Major Cause' of Conflict in Africa
Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows - and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war. US researchers found that across the continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they suggest strife arises when the food supply is scarce in warm conditions.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8375949.stm

Zimbabwe: Woza Leaders Presented With Top Award by U.S. President Obama
Leaders of the pressure group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), on Monday took their message of peace to the White House in the United States, where they were presented with a prestigious human rights award by US President Barack Obama. Award winner Magodonga Mahlangu and WOZA co-founder Jenni Williams, both travelled to Washington DC to receive the 2009 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award. Williams accepted the award on behalf of WOZA while Mahlangu was singled out in her personal capacity as a rights activist.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911231971.html

Namibia: Not in the Forefront
With Namibia's National Assembly and Presidential elections around the corner the issue of equitable women's representation at the highest levels of political decision-making has been placed at the centre of the election agenda. Most political parties only really kicked off their campaigns in earnest towards the middle of September and observers were looking to see whether these elections would mark a watershed for Namibian women's inclusion on party lists, as well as how issues mostly affecting women were being addressed in election manifestos.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911240357.html

South Africa Moves Out of Recession
South Africa's economy has come out of recession, with growth of 0.9 per cent in the third quarter of this year. Results, adjusted for seasonal variations, released on Tuesday showed southern Africa's biggest economy to have ended it's first period of negative growth in 17 years, the country's national statistics board said. "The seasonally adjusted real gross domestic product [GDP] at market prices for the third quarter of 2009 increased by an annualised rate of 0.9 per cent compared with the second quarter of 2009," Statistics South Africa said.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/11/20091124111757963696.html

East Africa: At Last, Common Market Becomes Reality
The East African Community officially ushered in a common market on Friday amid renewed commitment by the region's Heads of State to expedite the envisaged political federation by 2015. The Common Market Protocol was finally signed in Arusha, Tanzania, bringing to an end months of waiting and anxiety. Contentious issues nearly derailed the negotiations and the signing was pushed to this month from April.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911230351.html

Africa in the News

Nigeria in 'Frank' Talks With Mend
Nigeria's president has held talks with former rebel leaders in the oil-rich Niger Delta in a bid to end the conflict in the region, his spokesman said.Olusegun Adeniyi said on Sunday that Umaru Yar'Adua's meeting with the ex-chiefs of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or Mend, was "frank and fruitful". The president "used the session to reiterate his commitment to the overall peace and development of the Niger Delta," Adeniyi said. He said Wole Soyinka, Nigeria's Nobel prize-winning author, also took part in the talks.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/11/2009111518144629789.html

Germany Arrests Top Rwanda Rebels
Police in Germany have arrested two Rwandan militia leaders on suspicion of crimes committed in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ignace Murwanashyaka, the leader of the FDLR rebel group, and his aide Straton Musoni were held on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes. FDLR leaders fled to DR Congo after the Rwanda genocide in which some 800,000 people - mostly ethnic Tutsis - died.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8364507.stm

MTN to Lay Off Over 400 in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Africa's biggest mobile phone operator, MTN (MTNJ.J), plans to lay off at least 400 staff in South Africa to cut costs as the recession bites. The company, which operates networks across Africa and the Middle East, said on Monday it would cut both permanent and temporary workers because it was becoming more efficient and because of a fall in customer numbers. Temba Nyathi, MTN Group's human resources executive, said the cutbacks were expected to save 150-170 million rand ($20-$23 million) per year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/telcommunicationsServicesSector/idUSLG43385220091116

The Africa Society School Invasion: Duke Ellington Edition

On November 10, 2009, The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa hosted 130 10th grade students for an educational program at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Students learned about The Africa Society’s Teach Africa program and got to view the latest installment of the popular reality series, “Whad’ya Know About Africa?” which is currently being filmed in the D.C. metro area and produced by The Africa Society. Five outstanding students were selected and interviewed by Host and Africa Society staff member, Leila Samara, for the next episode in the series.

President and CEO of The Africa Society, Bernadette Paolo, encouraged students to aspire to greatness and to make Africa a part of their lives, studies, and careers. Ms. Nicole Peacock, Public Affairs Outreach Coordinator of the Office of Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the Department of State, was also on hand to speak about the State Department’s work in Africa and the importance of being globally conscious. Ms. Peacock brought and distributed newspapers from Tanzania to offer students further insight into life on the continent. The program concluded with a question and answer session, after which each student received a gift bag with Africa-focused books, DVD’s, a Teach Africa t-shirt, M&M candies, and a map of the continent.

To learn more about The Africa Society School Invasion or other Africa Society Programs, we invite you to visit our website at http://www.africasummit.org/. The latest episode of “Whad’ya Know About Africa?” can be seen at www.youtube.com/africasummit.

Africa in the News

Tsvangirai Ends Zimbabwe Boycott
Zimbabwe's prime minister has ended his boycott of the country's unity cabinet, saying he wants to give the body time to work out its difficulties.
Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the government three weeks ago after accusing the country's president, Robert Mugabe, of not implementing the power-sharing agreement and sanctioning the harassment of opposition MDC supporters.
Tsvangirai's decision on Thursday followed a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, with members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/11/200911642034591486.html

Guinea: Opposition Presents Demands to Compaoré
A coalition of Guinean opposition leaders has presented President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso a set of proposals they believe will end the political crisis precipitated by a military takeover in Guinea last December, reports Sidwaya from Ouagadougou.
The newspaper’s online edition reported that opposition politicians and trade unionists are calling for the military junta which seized power to step down, and for the formation of a transitional government, free political and union activity and the release of those arrested when the military suppressed protests last September 28.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911050919.html

Niger-Nigeria 'Blockade' Mystery
Nigerian customs officials are blocking Niger from importing goods, Niger's foreign affairs ministry has confirmed.
The reason for the interruption of cross-border trade, which began on Tuesday, is not known.
A BBC reporter at a border crossing says there are lines of trucks waiting to cross into Niger and only people with a few loaves of bread can pass.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8346697.stm

Africa: Africa's Media Leaders Gather in Lagos
Top executives from African media houses gather in Lagos on Thursday for two days of consultations on how to sustain the development of good journalism on the continent. Owners, publishers and editors will join panel discussions on topics ranging from the media and governance to the challenges and opportunities of digital media and the monetization of content.
The discussions will take place at the second meeting of the African Media Leadership Forum (AMLF), a group which held its inaugural meeting in Dakar, last year.
The first meeting of the forum resolved to invite African governments, the African Union Commission and regional African organizations "to take proactive steps in creating conditions conducive for promoting media as partners for achieving sustainable development on the African continent."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200911040878.html

What do YOU know about AFRICA???

“What your television shows you about Africa is a tragedy!” This was the contention of the Honorable Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Senegal and featured speaker at The Africa Society’s last Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series.

Tragic or not, American media coverage of Africa is certainly negatively skewed and ultimately inadequate. To shed light on the lack of information and education available on Africa, The Africa Society has created the film series, Whad’ya Know About Africa, which can be seen at www.youtube.com/africasummit. The host of the series, Africa Society Intern Leila Samara asks residents of Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia basic questions about the continent of Africa. The results reveal pervasive, albeit comedic, ignorance. This endemic lack of knowledge is precisely why The Africa Society works so diligently to fulfill its mission of engaging and educating all Americans about the diverse continent of Africa. With your support, The Africa Society is changing the lens through which Americans and people around the globe view Africa and Africans. We ask that you join us as we endeavor to revolutionize the way Americans think about and interact with the continent. Help us teach American children, and the world, about Africa.